Egypt’s Minister of Communications , Amr Talaat, presided over the closing session of the second Global Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence (AI) Governance. Held in Cairo from November 19th to 21st, the event brought together African Union (AU) AI Working Group members, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) representatives, and leading AI experts from Africa and Europe.
The dialogue aimed to advance the AU’s continental AI strategy, aligning with the organization’s operational mechanisms and solidifying Egypt’s leadership as chair of the AU AI Working Group.
A Continental Effort
Talaat emphasized that this meeting built on the foundation laid in 2019, when Egypt initiated a call for African nations to form a working group dedicated to drafting a continent-wide AI strategy. Since then, Egypt has led a coalition of over 20 African countries in developing a strategy prioritizing the safe and ethical use of AI, with a focus on data neutrality. The dialogue also involved key international institutions like the OECD and AI leaders from the UK and US.
Key Takeaways from the Dialogue
The second dialogue brought together representatives from over 20 African and non-African nations and international organizations. Discussions centered on practical steps to implement the African AI strategy, the core principles for an African AI Charter. Further, a roadmap was outlined to achieve the strategy’s objectives.
Talaat commended African countries for their contributions and highlighted Egypt’s role in shaping the region’s ICT landscape through its leadership of the working group.
Global Collaboration and National Priorities
Amb. Amr Goweily, Assistant Foreign Minister for Multilateral Affairs and International Security, emphasized the importance of integrating AI into the Global Digital Compact. Egypt remains committed to global efforts to ensure the safe and beneficial use of AI.
In this regard, Angela Cassell Bush, Commissioner of the Liberia Telecommunications Authority, underscored African nations’ commitment to leveraging AI for development, particularly through awareness-raising and youth empowerment.
Lucia Russo, an economic expert and policy analyst representing the OECD, praised the collaboration between the OECD and Egypt’s Ministry of Communications. She acknowledged Egypt’s progress under its national AI strategy, including capacity building and regional leadership in shaping Africa’s AI strategy.
The second dialogue followed the success of the first session held in Paris in March 2024, which provided crucial support for African countries in drafting the continental AI strategy. The OECD presented best practices for implementing the strategy, adopted at the AU mid-year summit in July 2024. Discussions covered international and regional cooperation, actionable steps, resource allocation, and integrating AI into priority sectors like government services, healthcare, education, and agriculture. The development of an African AI ethics charter was also a key focus.
